End products
1. Hydrocarbons: Methane Propane Ethylene 2. Oxygenated molecules: Methanol Ethanol Formic acid Oxalic acid
Parameters
- applied potential - buffer strength - local pH - local CO2 concentration - CO2 pressure - surface crystal structure of the electrodes
Fig. 1. Voltammograms obtained in phosphate solutions with Ar: (a), CO (b), and CO2 (c) at pH 6.8, and with 0.1MKHCO3 saturated with CO2 (d) at pH 6.8.
Fig. 2. Partial current data. (Conditions: 0.1M KHCO3, 19C, CO2 bubbled, bulk [H+] = 1.55 107 M, bulk [CO2] = 3.41 102 M. Estimated local [H+] and [CO2] values for polarisation measurements
Reaction pathways
Fig. 3. The main reaction pathways at the electrode surface, with adsorbed CO blocking the majority of the surface and hydrocarbon products being formed by the further reduction of adsorbed CO.
Fig. 8. Transmission spectra of KHCO3 (a) and K2CO3 (b) diluted in KBr pellets.
Fig.9. SPAIR spectra on a Pb electrode after bubbling CO2 in 0.1 MNaOH until pH = 8.6;DR/R = (RE2 RE1)/RE1, where the reference spectrum, RE1,was taken at E = 1.8 V vs.SCE. (a) Electrode potential from 1.0 V to 1.45 V vs. SCE. (b) Electrode potential from 1.5 V to 1.8 V vs. SCE.
Reaction step
Reaction step
Conclusions
Propylene carbonate: Better characterization Mass transfer process Main reaction product: oxalate Aqueous medium: Predominant species: hydrogen carbonate ions CO2 : not absorbed at cathodic electrode potential Exclusive organic species : formate Copper electrode: Multiple reaction pathways Main product: CO
References
A review of the aqueous electrochemical reduction of CO2 to hydrocarbons at copper- M. Gatrell, N. Gupta : Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 594 (2006) FTIR spectroscopy study of the reduction of carbon dioxide on lead electrode in aqueous medium- B. Innocent, D. Pasquier, F. Ropital, F. Hahn, J.-M. Leger, K.B. Kokoh: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 94 (2010) 219224 Electroreduction of carbon dioxide at a lead electrode in propylene carbonate: A spectroscopic study- B. EneauInnocent, D. Pasquier, F. Ropital, J.-M. Lger, K.B. Kokoh: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental 98 (2010) 6571
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